SYDNEY: China’s Li Na fought back from a set and a break down to delay Petra Kvitova’s bid for the world number one ranking in a tenacious semifinal victory at the Sydney International on Thursday.
French Open champion Li recovered to down Wimbledon winner Kvitova 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours of high-class tennis to reach her second consecutive Sydney final where she will face third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
In doing so, world number five Li frustrated the Czech left-hander’s immediate hopes of toppling Caroline Wozniacki from the top of the women’s rankings ahead of next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne.
Kvitova, trailing Wozniacki by just 295 rankings points, would have claimed the number one ranking if she had won the Sydney tournament, with 470 points up for grabs to the winner.
In the other semifinal, Azarenka fought back from a set down to beat Wozniacki’s victor from the quarters, Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in almost two hours.
“The way she (Kvitova) was playing in the first set I didn’t know what to do. Give up? I couldn’t do anything,” Li said.
Defeat for the Chinese star looked certain after Kvitova stormed through the opening set losing just one game and broke early in the second set to lead 3-1, but Li took a grip on the match with fearless serving and shot-making.
“I think in the second set the match turned around because her service game was not like the first set where she was hitting winners all the time.” (Agencies)